Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to deep water fishing and, more particularly, to a device that will safely return fish to their natural deep water habitat after their air bladder has inflated from being reeled to the surface.
Discussion of the Related Art
Catching fish in deep water, 50 ft. or more, is common in coastal areas and large lakes. Quite often, fish that are undersized, out of season, or non-targeted are caught unintentionally and then discarded. When brought up from the deep, these fish often have inflated air bladders and are unable to return to depth on their own. After they are released, they can be seen floating away either upside down or laying on their side struggling to return to their deep water habitats. For the most part, inflated fish either die, or are eaten by predators as they struggle on the surface. The damage to fisheries and aquatic ecosystems of the world is extensive and the loss of fish due to this cause further depletes an already exploited resource.
Fish saving devices such as: venting tools that piece a fish's abdomen or bladder to bleed off air, or clamps and weights that are used to return fish to deep water by weighing them down and then releasing them when the weights impact the bottom, are available today. Each has drawbacks. Piercing the belly of a fish, to bleed off air, can cause infection or damage organs that can significantly affect the survival of the fish. Raising and lowering weights is both time consuming and exhausting to the average fisherman who is unlikely to devote the time required to accomplish this task.
Research has shown that fish caught in several hundred feet of water only need to be returned to a depth of between 50 to 100 feet in order to shrink the air bladder sufficiently enough for the fish to swim away, under its own power, and survive. Accordingly, there is a need for a reliable Fish Recompression Device that is low cost, easy and quick to use.
In an effort to help reverse the devastation of fish populations from all causes, regulatory agencies and environmentalists are uniting to enact policies and regulations designed to protect this important resource. By closing territories and regulating fishing seasons, fish are protected but the economy suffers. Local and state revenues are negatively impacted due to lower sales of fishing licenses, tackle, and boats, as well as reduced tourism dollars in general. Regulations are also being considered that will require fishing boats to keep a Fish Recompression Device onboard.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed and presented to facilitate disclosure of some embodiments, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the attached claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
In this specification where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is it known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.